Improvement in steam-engines



UNITED STATES CHARLES W. ISBELL,

OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,@00, dated March 14,1865.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAsW. IsBELL, of No. 358 Ninth avenue, in the city,county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Steam and other Engines and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecilication.

This invention relates to what have been termed vibrating-pistonengines, in which radial pistons vibrate within sector-shaped cylinders,such engines being used as motors, with steam or other fluid at asuitable pressure as the motive agent or as pumps.

In consists in a novel arrangement vof two such cylinders with aninterposed induction chamber common to both, and a connection of theirtwo pistons with one crank, whereby I obtain a very simple doubleengine.

Figure l in the drawings is a side view of the engine. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same parallel with Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of the same at right angles to Fig. l and 2 in the planeindicated by the line y y in Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

A A are the two cylinders, of quadrant shape, arranged side byside onthe same bedplate, B, and in corresponding positions on opposite sidesof a central plane perpendicular to the said bed-plate, such planebeingindicated by a red line, :v x, in Figs. l and 2. These cylindersmight each be cast separately and bolted to the bed-plate, but arerepresented as having all but their movable heads F F* of two castings,one of which is the bed-plate B and the other an arch-formed casting, C,common to both cylinders, the partitions a a', which separate the twocylinders, and form between them the induction-chamber D, common toboth, being cast with the bed-plate. Each of the two heads F F* may becommon to both cylinders, or separate heads may be provided for each.

E E are the vibrating pistons, one in each cylinder and radial thereto,each having its axis of vibration concentric with the arc-formed side ofits respective cylinder, and the two axes being parallel with each otherand only so far apart as is rendered necessary by the partitions a a ofthecylinders and the interposed induction-chamber. These pistons mayhave their edges iitted with any suitable packing. Theirhubs e c',whichare concentric with their respective axis of vibration, are ttedinto suitable concave bearings, c c, formed at the junction of thepartitions a a with the bed-plate, and in which they are kept tight bythe pressure of the steam or other fluid in their respective cylinder onwhichever side of the piston the pressure operates, so that the steam orother iluid cannot pass around the hub from one side of the piston tothe other. At the corresponding ends of the two pistons journals b b',concentric with their axes of vibration, pass through stufIing-boxes din one of the cylinder-heads, and are furnished with arms G G', whichare connected, by rods H H', with one common crank, I, on the main shaftK of the engine, which is arranged with its axis in the central plane mbefore mentioned, and supported in plumber-blocks J J on the top of thecylinders.

rIhe arms G G are so arranged relatively to their respective piston, andthe rods H H of such length, that when either piston is at the middle ofits stroke the other is at one end of its stroke.

The induction and eduction of the steam or other iluid to and from thecylinders may be eii'ected by Vany suitable system of valves, ports, andpassages; In Fig. 2 there are represented for this purpose twoslide-valves, one for each cylinder, arranged in the interposedvinduction-chamber D, and operating in combination with a system of portsand passages, substantially like what are commonly used in slide-valveengines to effect the induction and eduction to and from each cylinderon each side of its piston alternately, and make the pistonsdouble-acting.

When the engine is used as a motor, the vibrating movement of thepiston, produced by the induction and eduction of the steam or otherfluid used as the motive agent to and from the cylinders on oppositesides of the pistons alternately, produces a rotary motion of the crankand main shaft. When used as a pump, rotary motion given to the mainshaft causes the crank to produce a vibrating movement of the pistons,and thereby causes the common to both, and with their vibrating pistonsconnected with a common crank on the said shaft, substantially as hereinspecified.

2. In oombinationwith the within-described arrangement of twosector-shaped cylinders, vibrating pistons, and crank-shaft, theinterposed induction-chamber, common to both cylinders, substantially asherein described.

- CHARLES W. ISBELL.

Witnesses HENRY T. BROWN, J. W. (100M-Bs.

